Goldfinger (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Goldfinger' (the 3rd Bond film in a series based on Ian Fleming's novels, & directed by Guy Hamilton) James Bond franchise takes a turn from straightforward spy thriller (Dr. No, From Russia with Love) & towards more campy gadgetry, more beautiful women, enhanced action sequences, extravagant sets, & double entendre-fueled one-liners/quips. The plot has a shady bullion dealer, Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), suspected of being a notorious international gold smuggler & the target of spy operatives in both Britain & America. James Bond (Sean Connery) is assigned to keep tabs on him, getting help from CIA op Felix Leiter (Cec Linder). But after Bond finds a naked dead woman covered head-to-toe in gold paint, the investigation takes on another dimension & a need for expediency.
The trail takes Bond (and us) from beautiful Switzerland to pastoral Kentucky, where 007 uncovers Goldfinger's plan to break into Fort Knox & detonate an atomic bomb! Goldfinger is surrounded by evil partners-in-crime, such as sexy femme fatale pilot Pussy Galore (the gorgeous Honor Blackman) & the nasty Oddjob (Harold Sakata), who kills with his steel-rimmed bowler hats {pretty cool, if I say so, myself}. In order to stop Goldfinger, Bond must survive several dangerous situations; including an enormous, deadly laser. Will 007 save the day again? And who winds up aiding him on his mission?
Sean Connery, back for the 3rd time, plays Bond with the same appeal, elegance, & wit that he displayed in the prior 2 films. 007 is a macho man of action, but also a man of sleek style; and Connery nails both attributes. As Goldfinger, Frobe's performance is perfect for this villainous role; exhibiting different components of Goldfinger's mixed personality - greed, cruelty, charm, & unflinching determination. Oddjob (Sakata) also makes for a fun over-the-top secondary villain. And Honor Blackman is unforgettable as Pussy Galore; she's one tough cookie. She's immune to Bond's charms and, while this doesn't stop her from sharing a few intimate moments with him, Pussy has better things to do than hang onto Bond like some floozy. She's independent-minded.
John Barry's music score & opening song (sung by the great Shirley Bassey) is fantastic. I can hear it over & over in my head right now, "Goldfingerrrrr. He's the man ... the man with the Midas touch!". The editing of the film is brisk; coming in under 2 hours at length. The cinematography, production design, set pieces, action, costumes, sound design, and make-up is stellar. A note on the make-up, that scene with the woman encased in gold is one of the more stunning, haunting, and eerie visions that you're likely to see in most movies. Gives me the creeps {but in a good way}!
'Goldfinger' is just a solid action/adventure film. The character development that we got from 'From Russia with Love' kind of dissipates in this film. 'Goldfinger' focuses greater attention to action. And so, I prefer From Russia with Love & Dr. No, to a degree. But I still enjoyed 'Goldfinger' a lot. There are several memorable action sequences (the climactic struggle btwn. 007 & Oddjob) and a lonnng car chase which has Bond's Aston Martin firing built-in guns, trailing smoke, trailing oil, and even making use of an ejecting passenger seat! There is more excitement in 'Goldfinger' than the previous Bond films. But something about those previous spy thrillers (in the franchise) reeled me in, more so. Still, this is a very fun movie.
The trail takes Bond (and us) from beautiful Switzerland to pastoral Kentucky, where 007 uncovers Goldfinger's plan to break into Fort Knox & detonate an atomic bomb! Goldfinger is surrounded by evil partners-in-crime, such as sexy femme fatale pilot Pussy Galore (the gorgeous Honor Blackman) & the nasty Oddjob (Harold Sakata), who kills with his steel-rimmed bowler hats {pretty cool, if I say so, myself}. In order to stop Goldfinger, Bond must survive several dangerous situations; including an enormous, deadly laser. Will 007 save the day again? And who winds up aiding him on his mission?
Sean Connery, back for the 3rd time, plays Bond with the same appeal, elegance, & wit that he displayed in the prior 2 films. 007 is a macho man of action, but also a man of sleek style; and Connery nails both attributes. As Goldfinger, Frobe's performance is perfect for this villainous role; exhibiting different components of Goldfinger's mixed personality - greed, cruelty, charm, & unflinching determination. Oddjob (Sakata) also makes for a fun over-the-top secondary villain. And Honor Blackman is unforgettable as Pussy Galore; she's one tough cookie. She's immune to Bond's charms and, while this doesn't stop her from sharing a few intimate moments with him, Pussy has better things to do than hang onto Bond like some floozy. She's independent-minded.
John Barry's music score & opening song (sung by the great Shirley Bassey) is fantastic. I can hear it over & over in my head right now, "Goldfingerrrrr. He's the man ... the man with the Midas touch!". The editing of the film is brisk; coming in under 2 hours at length. The cinematography, production design, set pieces, action, costumes, sound design, and make-up is stellar. A note on the make-up, that scene with the woman encased in gold is one of the more stunning, haunting, and eerie visions that you're likely to see in most movies. Gives me the creeps {but in a good way}!
'Goldfinger' is just a solid action/adventure film. The character development that we got from 'From Russia with Love' kind of dissipates in this film. 'Goldfinger' focuses greater attention to action. And so, I prefer From Russia with Love & Dr. No, to a degree. But I still enjoyed 'Goldfinger' a lot. There are several memorable action sequences (the climactic struggle btwn. 007 & Oddjob) and a lonnng car chase which has Bond's Aston Martin firing built-in guns, trailing smoke, trailing oil, and even making use of an ejecting passenger seat! There is more excitement in 'Goldfinger' than the previous Bond films. But something about those previous spy thrillers (in the franchise) reeled me in, more so. Still, this is a very fun movie.